West Coast Eagles’ Hip-E Club group: Players to be fined but likely to avoid suspension, says Trevor Nisbett

The seven Eagles who defied a team directive and partied at a Perth nightclub will be fined on Monday but could escape suspension because of the club’s decimated playing stocks, West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett has revealed. The Eagles boss also launched his strongest defence yet of under siege coach Adam Simpson, saying there is “no chance” the club will part ways with him, on the day it prepares to hand down sanctions to its Hip-E Club rebels and move on from the “devastating” incident. Jackson Nelson, Josh Rotham, Jake Waterman, Campbell Chesser and Rhett Bazzo are the five players already identified as having broken team orders in visiting the popular Leederville nightspot, with Waterman and Rotham taking the field in the club’s 75-point loss to Brisbane on Saturday. The other two players will be named by the club later on Monday. “In normal circumstances, some of the guys might face a suspension of a week or so, or be unavailable for selection, but as it stands we aren’t in that position where we can afford to do that and that is a problem in its own right,” Nisbett told SEN WA on Monday. “There will be a fine involved, and those players will have to cop that. “It will be signed off today, we will then have to move forward.” The Eagles were forced to call upon WAFL top-up players for the second time this season, with South Fremantle’s Jake Florenca and Claremont’s Declan Mountford taking the field for them at the Gabba as COVID and injuries took a toll. They made the trip with just 21 fit and available AFL-listed players. The consequences from the incident could play out in the longer term however, with Nisbett telling ABC Radio on Saturday the players involved had “compromised their position” and that their futures at the club could be in jeopardy. Nisbett has also defended the club’s handling of the incident, after West Coast premiership player Will Schofield and Australian cricket legend Mitchell Johnson — writing exclusively for The West Australian — went into bat for the players. “We have to do what we believe is correct — the players know the circumstances,” he said. “Both Mitch and Schoey are coming from a player’s point of view and yes they haven’t broken the law and they haven’t done things that are going to hurt someone directly but they have certainly hurt their coach, their playing group, the club and the brand damage they have done to themselves is probably as important as anything else. “We didn’t have to name players, the players were in the public arena so it wasn’t the case of the club having to come out and name the players. “We were devastated, because we expect that our players are going to head the advice, guidelines and they are there to represent our football club as professional athletes and unfortunately in this case they haven’t adhered to protocols.” But the incident won’t have any bearing on Simpson’s future at the club, with Nisbett again saying his position is safe. “There is no chance Adam won’t be coaching the football club going forward,” he said. “We have complete faith in our system, what we have been doing, we are trying very, very hard to change the style of play and I think you saw some of it on Saturday night. “There is going to be a little bit more pain before we improve and I know our members are disappointed with our performances ... but we are working towards getting better, improvement, and that’s what Adam is standing for.” They face reigning premiers and unbeaten ladder-leaders Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

West Coast Eagles’ Hip-E Club group: Players to be fined but likely to avoid suspension, says Trevor Nisbett

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